Emilio de Catalina, PhD, published on June 27, 2026, an article addressing a common linguistic misconception in the Philippines: the equation of Cebuano (or Sinugboanon) with Bisaya (or Binisaya).
The Misconception: Cebuano as Bisaya
Many people, including those in Manila and even relatives in Pasig, believe that Cebuano is the Bisayan language. When someone mentions Bisaya, it is automatically understood as the language spoken in Cebu and other parts of the Visayas and Mindanao. In simple terms, Cebuano is treated as equivalent to Bisaya.
This widespread assumption has drawn commentary from the University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City. According to UP Diliman, the confusion is significant: "The biggest confusion among most people from Cebu, Mindanao, and Dumaguete who speak the Sinugboanon language is that almost all of them consider that the Cebuanos are the only people in the Visayas, and almost all of them consider that Bisaya [language] is the Sinugboanon language; this is a complete error. It is like hijacking the word Bisaya from other people in the Visayas such as the Hiligaynon, Karay-a, Aklanon, Waray, etc., and depriving them of their Bisaya identity" (http://www.up.edu.ph).
The Linguistic Reality: Bisaya as a Generic Term
The point made by UP Diliman is that the word Bisaya (or Binisaya) is not equal to Cebuano (or Sinugboanon). This is correct according to the truth about these languages. Cebuano is just one of the Bisayan languages. Therefore, the meaning of Bisaya as a language is not equal to the meaning of Cebuano. While Bisaya is a generic term encompassing many languages within the Visayas, Cebuano is a particular term referring only to the language spoken in Cebu, Bohol, parts of Negros, parts of Leyte, and parts of Mindanao, not the entire Visayas.
In conclusion, through the lens of semantics, the branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of words, the word Cebuano (or Sinugboanon) is indeed not equal to the word Bisaya (or Binisaya).
